This is the Noise...

 ... that keeps me awake!

Yesterday was a perfect illustration of what I've been involved in this last full week and how it's just gone sort of haywire. Much to do with the church, projects, and a possible upcoming project involving domestic abuse. Not much to say about any of it right now. But I'm busier than that one legged man at the asskicking contest. Plus we've had guests and I've been playing chatelaine of the tropical palace here. I am happy, contented, with a full life, in spite of Covid and crazy folks.

We awoke yesterday, Jim went swimming. I'm having to stay out of the pool because I got some sort of dreadfully infected bug bite on my right breast. Draining. Gross. Usually Jim gets these things, not me. Here's something I learned here. Going into the swimming pool or ocean when you have an open wound is downright dangerous here due to the different bacterial loads and types here. I don't play around when we get this stuff.

Jim was complaining about boredom. His friend Derwood has decamped back to the States with his new lady love. We've reached out to his wife, but she's only going to church and the grocery store. She's suffering since Derwood dumped her for a newer younger model.

This has been a hard year. We've only been going to the store and church ourselves. No socializing beyond our neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Derwood. We don't travel, other than the rare trip to Santa Cruz or Liberia to shop for things not easily obtainable in Tama. I've been decompressing from almost ten years working on or with No Longer Quivering. It's a season of uncertainty. Even the rules on leaving for the States have changed multiple times since Biden took office. We're talking about staying, violating our visas and just paying the stupid fine. 

So yesterday morn I suggested we take a day trip down to Bagaces and Catarata Llano del Cortes. Jim was up for this, because it meant we'd pass through Liberia and his favorite place, Price Smart. I'm out of Gwaltney bacon and butter so Price Smart run did need to happen. 

We left around lunchtime, picking up lunch in Liberia before heading into Price Smart, which was deserted on a Tuesday afternoon. Pleased as punch to find things for the house on my long term shopping list.

Afterwards we decided to head south of Liberia towards Llano del Cortes near Bagaces. We pulled up to the official waterfall entrance just as they closed. Got out and talked to the guy working the gate. Seven dollars and one easy five minute walk to the falls. Cool. We told him we'd be back.

As we were driving away he told us about the "Free" falls access. Which is what my pals had been telling me about for years here. Photos galore like the one above we took yesterday. You can swim in the falls for free, the little falls, and the big falls above. We followed the pointing finger, down the road, over a tiny one lane bridge, and up a dirt road past the Asada Llano del Cortes and into the countryside.

After a time we came to a rude shelter constructed of poles and a tarpaulin and an outhouse marked as the way to the fall. Just pay a donation, whatever you feel like its worth. We stopped and talked to the folks working there, explaining we weren't really prepared for a long hike as it was late afternoon 4 pm, and we'd be back. I was wearing my cheap rubber flip flops and a dress, makeup and jewelry, not really attired for the outdoors. Jim much the same.

Everyone said it was just a few short minute walk to the falls. Off we went. With bartones (pronounced that way, walking sticks) and guides, one English speaking, and one not.

Well, it was not just a simple five or ten minute walk. It was straight down a narrow rocky twisting muddy pathway. Halfway down both of my flip flops broke, and I continued on bare foot through the mud, leaves and rocks. A good 40 minute hike down. Add in my balance problems related to the mast cell. Misdiagnosed with MS last year when the balance went crazy. I went so so slowly because of the disconnect between my brain and my eyes. Downward is the worst for me. I don't even do stairs or steps, only inclines now.

A Matapalo tree, or as we say in English a Strangler Fig, wrapped around a big boulder on the path.We have one of these in our yard. The monkeys seem to love the new growth and when it flowers to nibble upon.

I had the sweetest nicest guide, steadying me all the way down. By the time I got to the little waterfalls barefoot with bruised toes I was kind of done. I sat down, and waved off Jim and his guide since they were less than two minutes from the big falls.

I had a perfectly lovely time with my guide, who spoke no English at the little falls. We did manage to have a long natter about the fish and wildlife. He showed me the caves and told me of fishing by sitting where I was by the trickling creek with a net. I told him of doing the same thing at the falls in the Shenandoah Montanas, errr, Mountains.

Jim and I were blase and uh huh as they tried to show us iguanas and monkeys. We had to tell them that we have iguanas and monkeys right in the backyard, so it's not an odd sight for us. Here's our king iguana and Stinky last week when I had to come out and rescue Stinky from the tree. The iguana had him pretty far up the tree. See Stinky's 'submissive' posture towards the iguana here and the iguana doing a full scary threat display of his extended throat wattle?

It was much quicker going back. My balance issues not so bad going up, so we were able to move at a much faster clip, arriving back at twilight. I had to be hosed down from the mud on my feet, feeling pretty fancy and super grubby at the same time. But happy I'd taken the chance to see the falls, even if I was ill prepared. Next time it will be on the smooth paved path at the other place. Now I've hiked volcanoes, climbed down and up to see the waterfalls, and I've swam way out off a big sailboat in 200 foot deep clear water with dolphins. Retirement isn't for sissies. Our rule here is that every day is an adventure, and that's been true.

One piece of advice - I am not prepared to swim in this waterfall. The guides keep talking about the purity of the water, but there have been three cases of flesh eating bacterial infections and parasites that have happened here.

It was a day that worked out differently than I imagined. I learned a few things. I had to make decisions about what was and was not an acceptable risk. I'll be back.

Had to soak my feet a long time in hot soapy water to get all the mud out from around my toe nails. Tired still today, but no real injuries beyond sore feet not used to scrambling over rocks and mud. Tenderfoot.